


The Four Stages of Healing

by linerwriter



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Suicidal Thoughts, Survivor Guilt, takes place after botw2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25405531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linerwriter/pseuds/linerwriter
Summary: The group had waited for a long time, searching and worrying for their missing member. But when he comes back, a princess in tow, will he be the same Wild they remember? Or will he be more broken than ever?
Relationships: Flora & Wild (Linked Universe), Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe), Time & Twilight (Linked Universe), Time & Wild (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 164





	1. Hemostasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hemostasis: the first phase of wound healing and begins at the onset of the injury. The main objective is to stop the bleeding; the body achieves this by activating the blood clotting system, which restricts the blood flow caused by the injury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! If you're coming from Tumblr, this is the (somewhat) new and improved version of my series, Five Months! I've been planning on bringing some of my older stuff over to here, and since I've recently finished this, I decided to edit and post it. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I'm new to posting chapters on AO3, so if anything looks off, just let me know and I'll fix it. I hope you enjoy!

Five months. It had been five months since they had seen Wild last, with no results.

Five months of daily searches, only stopping to rest when the last of them couldn’t take it anymore. Five months of waking up from a nightmare of their friend’s fate, blank-eyed and pale. Five months of leaving one more place at the table  _ just in case  _ he came back. He never did.

Twilight had taken it the hardest. He was always the last to collapse, the last to fall asleep, the last to eat. It worried all of them to the point that they had to sedate him just to get him to sleep. Several times, Malon would wake up to hear him howling mournfully outside, sad notes in the air pleading for their lost member to  _ just come home, please, we miss you. _

Time took it nearly as bad as Twilight, but Malon was able to knock some sense in him. Warriors and Legend had taken to sparring daily to get the anger out of their systems, anger at whoever had caused this to happen. Wind, Sky, and Hyrule often went on searches when Twilight couldn’t to provide him some peace of mind, however much it actually amounted to. Four would stay with Twilight, keeping him company when he was out or stuck in bed. At one point, all of them thought of giving up their hope, of piling some dirt in an empty lot and wishing desperately they could’ve seen him one last time.

And then he came back.

It was night when it happened, another one of the nights when the only one up was Twilight. He had been outside howling again, those sorrowful notes tinging the air when he saw a brief flash of light in the distance. Immediately, he stopped lamenting to the moon and took off toward the light, some base instinct staving away the tiredness. When he finally got there and transformed back, what he saw made him stop.

Wild was on the ground, curled around something protectively. His skin was pale, just as they had feared, but his chest was rising up and down, so he was fine. His once luscious, long blonde hair was cut short to just below the tops of his shoulders, greasy and matted. His clothing had new additions to it, thick winter clothes underneath his tunic and a prominent leather strap covering his chest. His visible body was covered in bruises and new scars, all trailing down to his right arm that was currently… glowing?

Twilight shook his head, rolling his cub away from what he was protecting until they were barely touching. Wild resisted, even unconscious he was protective of what was his. The thing- or rather, the  _ one _ \- was a girl slightly shorter than the man covering her, with short, bobbed blonde hair and delicate skin covered similarly to Wild. She was clutching the Master Sword to her chest harshly, unwavering in her belief to defend it.

_ Is this… his Zelda?  _ Twilight thought to himself with surprise,  _ Why is she here?  _ He glanced up at the moon, only to see it slowly start its descent toward the ground.  _ I have to help them,  _ his thoughts were scattered as he transformed and started barking,  _ I have to save them. _

Fortunately, Malon had gotten up as she usually did when he was outside. She was puzzled slightly when she couldn’t hear him, but shrugged it off in case he had made the right decision to sleep. That was proven wrong when he showed up at the door, barking madly and gesturing with his head toward a lump in the middle of her field.

“What…” She said with confusion. Twilight eventually grew tired of her taking so long and bit into her dress gently, pulling her along. “Whoa!”

She slapped Twilight’s muzzle gently, “I’m coming! Just let me get Time!” Sensing his reluctant acceptance, she rushed back into the house, shouting, “Dear! I need your help!”

Time awoke with a start at his wife’s call, “Yes?”

“Get outside! Wolfie wants us to see something!”

“Do you know what it is?”

“No, but he’s not letting me leave! Hurry up!”

Time sighed, “Coming!” He got out of bed with a groan and walked toward his wife, shooing the others away when they sleepily came out of their rooms, “What’s going on?”

Twilight simply barked in response, zooming off toward the lump Malon had seen earlier. Time stared after with a frown, “I’ve never seen him act like this before. Guess we should go after him.”

The two followed the wolf, pausing when they reached his location. When they saw who it was, they gasped and hurried to lift them up, only to drop them when the two started struggling. Noticing how they were reaching for each other, Time quickly put Wild’s hand into Zelda’s, causing them to stop convulsing. The couple looked at each other, concerned, then rushed toward the house, making sure their charges were touching at all times.

Twilight burst into the house, morphing back into a human right as he got into the kitchen. He shoved everything off the table, sprinting back and forth between rooms to find their medical supplies. Meanwhile, Time and Malon had come in after their descendant and laid their loads safe and close to each other. Malon went to put some light on in the house, leaving Time alone to care for Wild and Zelda.

“Time? What’s going on?” The other Links had not gone back to sleep and were gathered at the door to the kitchen, each one straining over each other to look at what was happening. Wind was able to get through the crowd and, once seeing who was on the table, he gasped, “Is that Wild?”

Time’s eyes softened as he gazed at Wind, who looked so happy to see his friend again, “Yes, it is.”

Wind slowly crept up to the unconscious man, who had once again curled around his Zelda, “What happened to him?”

Twilight pushed through the crowd, a grim expression on his face, “That’s what I’d like to know.” He jerked his head towards Wild’s right arm, “Especially that. Why’s it glowing?”

“Do you think he got sent on another adventure?” Hyrule spoke up softly from behind them.

Time sighed, “I don’t know, but we don’t have time to worry about it right now. Twilight, hand me some bandages. Wind, get me some water.”

The two scrambled into action, gathering materials. Fruitlessly, Time and Malon tried to separate the duo on the table, giving up when they started to thrash and kick at the offending hands harder. All the while, the others looked on, helpless.

Malon saw the worry in their eyes, walking over to them with a kind smile. “Don’t worry, boys,” she spoke quietly, “We’ll have this all figured out by tomorrow. For now, get some rest.”

“Will they be okay, Miss Malon?” Sky asked.

Malon’s smile dimmed a little as she turned back to their charges, “If I’m being entirely honest, I don’t know. But,” the fire returned to her eyes, “I do know that you boys are one hardy bunch. Something like this won’t keep him down for long, and you know your princesses. Go back to sleep. We’ll see what happens in the morning, okay?”

A few of them nodded, yawning as they went back to their rooms. The woman watched as they left, turning back to her husband once she couldn’t see them anymore. “How are they?”

Time shrugged, “Beyond superficial wounds, I’m not seeing anything too concerning. However, I can’t test for things like broken ribs without moving and waking them, and judging by how deeply they’re sleeping, I doubt they’ve had a good night’s rest for a long time.”

“What should we do then?” Wind said.

“We can only wait and see.” Twilight answered, “I’ll stay up with them in case something happens. You guys can go back to sleep.”

“Alright,” Malon agreed, “Wake us up if anything happens.” She took Wind by the shoulder and led him out of the room. She paused at the doorway, “Join me when you’re ready, dear.”

“I will.” Time turned toward Twilight as the two left the room. “Will you be okay by yourself?”

Twilight frowned, “I’ll be fine, old man, don’t worry.”

Time raised his hands to placate the younger man, “I’m just making sure. Remember to reapply their dressings and call me if anything odd happens. We don’t know where they’ve been, so treat them with caution.” He sighed heavily, “I’ll be going to bed now. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Time. And… thank you.”

Time smiled gently at Twilight, “It was no problem. I’ll see you in the morning.” The older man left, plunging the kitchen into silence.

Twilight sat down in a chair like a sack of rocks and sighed, “Always causing trouble, Wild. What am I gonna do with you?” He chuckled and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “What have you been up to, cub?”

Wild slept on.


	2. Inflammation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inflammation: the second phase of wound healing and begins right after the injury. The wound leaks transudate and causes swelling. Inflammation controls bleeding and prevents infection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: minor mentions of blood and drowning, survivor's guilt, panic attack related to bones.

_ There’s blood. Everywhere. It doesn’t matter where he looks, he’s surrounded by it. _

_ It’s the blood of the ones he fought. The ones he killed. The ones he left behind. The ones he failed to save. The ones he loved. _

_ He’s drowning in it. _

_ It’s choking him, the thick liquid filling his throat and cutting off his screams. It whispers into his ears, forcing him to remember all that he had lost. It seeps into his bones, making them grow weak and weary. _

_ “Wake up, Link.” _

_ Oh no, not this again, he can’t go back, no, no, please- _

_ “Link!” _

_ It’s too tough- he can’t do it again- can’t face the scorn he knows they’ve hidden- please, Hylia, plEASE- _

“LINK!”

Link’s eyes shot open with a gasp, his body fighting to sit up against the force holding him down. The warmth it provided fights against the cold permeating his body, allowing his head to clear and realize where he is. Slowly, his breathing calmed down, and he was able to think again.

“Link?”

He sat up and turned toward Zelda gradually, his eyes closing as her hand gently cupped his chin. “Oh, Link,” he heard her say quietly, sadness infecting it, “it’s gonna be okay.”

At those words, he finally collapsed into her arms, crying gently. He felt her hands gently stroking his back and faintly registers her delicate reassurances that  _ you are safe _ and  _ it’s gonna be okay _ .

From outside the room, a watcher silently looked upon the scene. Hidden in the shadows, Twilight allowed the tears he was holding back to fall.  _ Why you, pup?  _ He thought in despair,  _ Why did it have to be you? _

A few days later, everyone was doing chores in the barn while Malon and Zelda made dinner. “Wild!” Warriors shouted with a grin, “Catch!” He threw a sack of grain toward the startled youth, who clutched it tightly. 

Wild huffed, “Don’t do that to me, Warriors!” His voice was soft, so unlike the one he had before. “You scared me half to death!”

Legend chuckled and swung his arm around the slightly taller hero, “Don’t worry about it, Warriors was just having a bit of fun.” He pretended not to notice the small flinch Wild had at the standard motion.

Wild rolled his eyes, “Watch me do that to you next time.” Although it was a threat, his whispery voice canceled out the effect.

“Alright, alright,” Time decided to step in, “Break it up. We’re nearly done and then we can head inside.”

“Yay!” Wind cheered, “I wonder what Malon and Zelda made?”

“I’m sure it’s something good,” Sky remarked, “It’s not like it was made out of bones.”

“Ew, bones? That sounds disgusting.”

“I know, right?”

As they all finished their chores in the barn, there was one left behind.  _ Bones,  _ Wild squeezed his eyes shut,  _ Why did it have to be bones? Out of all the things Sky could’ve picked, it had to be bones? _

His breathing increased heavily until he was panting, and his body began to shake. Alone in the barn, his mind spiraled until he was back  _ there _ , in the place he promised to never go back to.  _ Please, someone, help! _

“Link! It’s okay, it’s just me!”

Zelda’s cool voice washed over him, soothing the flashback a little bit. His eyes fought to stay open and his hands scrambled to hold hers. “Real?”

“I’m real, Link, this is reality.” Zelda held his hands tightly, “Do you want me to prove it?” At his nod, she calmly dropped his hands, ignoring the desperate keen that came out of his mouth, and grabbed the top of his head. She brought it down until his forehead was level with her lips and dropped a faint kiss on it.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Wild dropped to the floor, taking the former princess with him. He rocked back and forth, his hair shadowing his face. “It’s real, it’s real,” he chanted, “You’re real, we’re okay.”

“I am real,” Zelda confirmed, “Do you want to head back?”

After a few more minutes, Wild’s rocking decreased until he could lift his head up, “Yeah, we can go back now.”

“You do know they’re gonna ask questions.”

“And I’ll just say there was too much dust in the air.”

“You know they won’t believe that,” Zelda sighed, “You’re gonna have to tell them eventually, Link.”

“Not yet, though,” Wild’s eyes locked with hers, showing his desperation, “I’m not ready for that yet.”

“When will you be ready for that, Link?”

“Eventually.”

“Will you?” She cried, “Will you actually? I have half a mind to-” She cut herself at his broken expression. Her eyes closed in defeat, “Fine, I won’t push. Just- let’s get back. It’s time to eat.”

“Look,” Time said quietly to the brooding Twilight, “They’re coming back.”

Twilight’s gaze rose to see that the pair were coming back from the barn. “Wonder what he’s gonna make up this time.” Twilight muttered.

Time sighed, “He’ll tell us when he’s ready, you know this.”

“He’s hurting, Time!” Twilight turned Time incredulously, “We have to help him!”

“I know he is, but you can’t just force someone to reveal their life story,” Time fired back, “We should know that better than anyone.”

Twilight huffed, “Doesn’t mean I can’t care about his well-being.” He frowned, “What do you think happened to him, Time?”

Time’s face darkened, “I couldn’t say, quite honestly. It’s not my story to share.”

“He’s changed so much,” Twilight’s face showed his yearning to have his old friend back, “Why can’t we help him?”

“Twilight? Can you come help set up?” Malon’s voice filtered into the room, resetting the room’s atmosphere to something more light-hearted.

“Sure!” Twilight’s answer was filled with false cheer, “Be there in a minute!”

Time watched him leave, his hand slightly outstretched. He closed his eye, a rare moment of vulnerability etched onto his face. “If only you knew it wasn’t just you that was hurting, Wild,” his voice murmured, “If only you knew.”


	3. Proliferation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Proliferation: the third phase of healing. The wound is rebuilt with new tissues made of collagen and extracellular matrix. In this phase, the wound contracts as new tissues are built.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: suicidal thoughts.

A week had passed since Wild’s attack, a week of tense silence and many excuses. Wild had woken up the house a few more times since then, but had still refused to elaborate on the reasons why. The only person he accepted to know was Zelda, and she was even tougher to crack.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Time, but if you want to know, you need to ask Link yourself. It’s not my place to share someone else’s trauma.” Zelda said after Time tried to grill her for information. She slumped down, “I’ve tried my best to get him to open up, but he’s adamant on not doing that.”

Time sighed, “I understand, Princess. Just try your best to help him, okay?” She nodded and proceeded to leave the room, stopping at the entryway to look back at him.

“If you can find any way to help him, please do. And please, call me Zelda.”

Time smiled, “Of course, Zelda.” She smiled back and finally left the room, her short golden hair bouncing with her. He turned toward the other person in the room, the furry gray pelt seeming somehow deflated. Time could see the way Twilight’s eyes took on a more defeated tone than before they spoke to Zelda.

“Why?” Twilight whispered, “Why does he not want us to help him?”

Time closed his eye with a sigh, “I don’t know, cub. Perhaps he’s spoken to Malon about it?”

“But she would’ve told us by now if he did,” Twilight guessed. Time nodded silently, sitting down heavily in a chair. The two mingled in silence, an oppressive feeling in the air. It was broken when Twilight asked,

“How much longer until he breaks, Time?”

Time stared out the window, a helpless feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time creeping into his heart. “I don’t know.”

Their answer came later that night. It was decided that they were going to leave the next morning to meet with Time’s Zelda, and possibly leave Wild’s Zelda there to learn about the history of Hyrule that had been lost to the ages. 

The group had decided to head outside after dinner to enjoy the stars. They had set up a campfire and had taken turns sharing stories, regaling the others with quests of honor and mistakes. After Wind had shared about the first time he climbed out of a boat after sailing for a long time, which had led to many laughs, everyone turned to the duo glued together.

“You’ve must have done  _ something _ dumb at one point, Wild.” Legend goaded the scarred hero, “Come on, tell us!”

Zelda giggled quietly, “I remember at one point, he tried to fly across Hyrule with some minecarts. He got to the Thundra Plateau and was zapped out of the sky!”

Wild smiled faintly, “And I seem to remember the time you thought you picked up a sword and it was really the bones of a dead bokoblin. You screamed so loud you woke up half of the forest.”

“Ugh.” Four wrinkled his nose, “I’m with you there, Princess.”

Zelda shuddered, “Never again. And like I’ve said, please, call me Zelda.”

“It’s kind of confusing to call you that, though, isn’t it? We all have our own Zeldas, so how do we know which one we’re talking about?”

Zelda hummed, “I see your point. A nickname, perhaps? You can give one to every Zelda you end up meeting.”

“That sounds like a good plan. What would you like to be called, Zelda?” Malon said warmly from beside Time.

Zelda thought for a moment, “Scientist, perhaps?”

Warriors shook his head, “Too stiff.”

“How about Bones? From how much you screamed at some?” Legend snickered.

Twilight saw the subtle flinch Wild made at the suggestion. He exchanged a look with Time, the other looking resigned. Zelda took his hand and said softly, “Maybe not that one.”

The naming went on for a few more minutes, the nicknames getting closer and closer but still not perfect. Zelda was clutching Wild’s hand tightly, looking at his blank expression every so often. Finally, they got to the point where everyone was quiet, listening to the crackle of the fire and thinking. It ended when a voice spoke up.

“Flora,” Wild said shortly, “Her name is Flora.” Then he left the group.

Twilight followed.

“Wild.”

“I’m fine, Twilight.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight raised an eyebrow at Wild’s back, “You don’t seem fine to me.”

“I’m  _ fine _ , Twilight, now will you please leave me alone?”

“No, cub, because you’re very obviously not ‘fine’.”

Wild finally stopped walking to throw his hands up into the air, “Goddesses, Twilight, I’m fine! I just wanted to leave!”

“Yes, you’re fine and you didn’t just leave the group for no reason.” Twilight sighed, “Wild, I know. Whenever you say you’re fine, you’re never fine.”

“Oh? And how are you so sure?”

“Would you like a list?”

Wild breathed in slowly in annoyance. His voice was measured and clipped as he said, “I am okay, Twilight. You can go back to the group now.”

“Uh, no, I’m not.” Twilight crossed his arms as his voice became more serious, “Cub, I’ve seen you this entire week. You’re tense, constantly searching the surroundings for an exit. You’ve had nightmares multiple times this week, and yet, the only person allowed to help you is Flora.” With each word, Twilight saw Wild’s shoulders lower further and further, until he looked like a hedgehog. He continued lowly, “You don’t laugh anymore. You don’t smile. You react to a joke, sure, but it’s never genuine. Once the attention is off of you, you shut down.”

“Th-that’s…”

“I’m not the only one that’s noticed, Wild. Everyone has.” Wild whipped his head up in surprise, “They just know there’s no point in trying.”

Silence. Wild’s hands started to wring together, his head lowered to the ground. Twilight looked at him, his eyes boring into the smaller man’s head. 

“When will you tell me what happened, Wild?”

“I can’t,” came a wretched whisper.

“Why?” Twilight’s question was harsh and unforgiving.

“Because it’s easier for me to keep my head down and ignore it.”

“Bullshit!” Twilight’s anger was starting to manifest outside of his mind. “You ignore it because it’s easier? When have we ever done that?!”

“Because I’m tired, Twilight!” Wild finally swung his eyes toward Twilight’s, who could see the pain and misery etched into them. “I’m sick and tired of being those deities plaything! For over a hundred years, I have been forced to do what they told me to, and at this point, I don’t care anymore. If this kills me, then so be it. I welcome it, even!”

“Don’t you dare say that!”

“And why can’t I? Because you care about me?” Wild’s voice started to steadily rise. “Do you know what it feels like to have your entire beliefs questioned? To know that because you just  _ weren’t good enough _ , everything fell apart? I had to retrain myself to be worthy of the Master Sword, Twi,  _ you know this! _ I was the one responsible for what happened when the Calamity came. I was the reason why it turned out the way it did. I WAS THE REASON WHY THEY’RE DEAD!”

_ So _ , Twilight thought,  _ that’s what this is about. _ He watched numbly as Wild fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. With a faint sigh, he stood and crouched down next to his friend, rubbing his back gently. 

“...Do you wanna know why me and Zelda are always so close together?” Wild’s question came out quiet and defeated.

Twilight’s response was just as quiet. “Sure.”

The smaller man took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “D-down there, there were some monsters that liked to play with our minds. They could manipulate the way we perceived the world, make us see things that weren’t real.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “At one point, I thought Zelda had been killed.”

“And since they can’t replicate the Goddess’s light, you took to being close to one another to make sure it was real,” Twilight guessed with a sinking heart.

Wild nodded his head dumbly, staring at the fire. Twilight sighed again, “It’s okay to ask for help, you know. I’m always here, so is Time. You don’t have to keep it bottled up inside.”

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re not a burden.”

“There’s a difference between knowing and believing, Twilight!” Wild snapped.

“So how can I help you believe it?” Twilight asked gently, “‘Cause you aren’t, Wild, and you never were. I guarantee you, if I go around to everyone in this group and ask if you are a burden, they would say no. You cook for us, you hunt for us, you make everyone worry whenever you do some death-defying stunt and come out alive at the end!” He shook his head, “Asking for help doesn’t make you a burden, Wild. It means you’re willing to start respecting yourself and allowing yourself to heal.”

Wild sniffed, “You really think so?”

“I know so.” Twilight took a moment to compose himself, “You know my journey. You know what happened during it. You know the trauma and fear it gave me; for years, I carried that around with me, unwilling to bare myself to the world and accept the love and kindness the people around me were desperately trying to give. It took Zelda finally knocking some sense into me to realize that keeping it to myself wasn’t good, it was harmful.”

“Did she really?” Wild turned his big blue eyes toward Twilight for a moment, a sparkle so curious it reminded Twilight of Colin.

He smiled ruefully, “Took a good smack at me.” He wagged a finger at Wild, causing the younger man to giggle, “Never offend a Zelda, they have a mean right hook. You should know that better than anyone.”

Wild nodded, the last of his tears drying up, “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good, you’re smarter than me. Anyway,” Twilight became serious again, “you can’t keep bottling yourself up, pup. Do you have to share everything that happened right away? No, that would be cruel. But if something is wrong, like what happened last week, then you gotta say something. Even if it’s as simple as ‘I’m feeling sad today, can I have a hug?’ No one will blame you. Got it?”

Wild nodded again, “Got it. Can I have a hug right now?”

Twilight’s face softened, “Of course you can, pup. Come on, bring it in.” He opened his arms wide, giving the younger man a big bear (wolf) hug. Wild relaxed into the hold, breathing in the comforting scent of his pseudo-older brother. 

The two broke apart a few moments later, after Wild finally felt better for the first time in months. He took a deep breath, “Can I tell you a bit about what happened down there?”

Twilight very carefully didn’t react, “Whatever you want, Wild. And while we’re on that, mind telling me about the arm?” He gestured towards Wild’s limb, “It’s a bit more… glowy than before.”

Wild laughed lightly, “Sure. It all started when…”


	4. Maturation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maturation: the final phase of wound healing and the longest, taking place from 21 days to two years. During this phase, collagen synthesis is ongoing to strengthen the tissue. Remodeling occurs as the wound contracts and fibers are reorganized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part exclusive to AO3! I hope you've enjoyed this series; I started this near immediately after BotW 2 was announced at E3 2019 and was glad to see it finally finished. Thanks for reading!

It was dark outside, the only source of light coming from a burning candle in the kitchen. They had finished their journey; it was over, done with, and the next morning, they were going to be separated for good. Wild and Twilight were the only ones left after the big dinner they had to celebrate their triumph. It was an evening full of merriment and fun, tempered by the passing sadness when they remember they were leaving each other soon. 

The two sat next to each other in the quiet room, taking in each other’s presence. This was not the first time they had parted, and it was just as hard as it was last time. 

“Will I see you again?” Wild asked the man next to him.

Twilight shrugged, “I don’t know, cub. But you don’t need to see me to remember me. We’ll always be with each other, each one of us.” Wild nodded hesitantly, bringing his legs to his chest. Twilight frowned at the smaller man, “What’s bothering you, cub?”

“...I’m scared, Twi.” Wild said softly after a few moments. 

“What are you scared of?”

“I’ve had you to help me when I’ve had nightmares of that place. What am I gonna do by myself?” Wild scrunched his body even more.

“What we’ve always done, Wild. Just because I’m not gonna be with you doesn’t mean nobody else will care. When I’ve had to go away, you’ve always trusted the others to help, right?” Wild nodded slowly. “I’ve heard the stories you’ve told me about the people from your home and seen the way they treat you when we’ve visited. They care about you  _ so much _ .”

“You think so?”

Twilight nodded and wrapped an arm around Wild in a side hug. “I know so; and who knows? Maybe we will be able to visit each other. But you know what I think?”

“What?”

Twilight looked at the boy next to him, taken back to the first time they met. A scared, helpless boy, tasked with defeating a monster he failed to kill a century ago. He remembered the months after, the way the boy grew more scarred, mentally and physically. He remembered the first time they parted, the small hole in his heart barely healing over. He remembered being dropped into that boy’s Hyrule again, tasked with another impossible mission and looking barely held together. He remembered the months spent worried and panicked, staying up too late and getting up too early to search when the boy had gone missing. He remembered the tears the boy shed after baring his heart to the group, and the healing it brought him. He remembered seeing the boy flourish during the rest of their journey, turning into a wild young man with life and vitality. He remembered all of that as he looked at his cub before him, and smiled.

“I think you’ll be just fine.”


End file.
